Through New Eyes: A Bolt From The Blue
by KPOPMetalChik
Summary: Gaara arrives in Konoha for some time to relax from the whole war situation going on between the villages and akatsukis. Isn't that a bit too careless? Sakura shows the Kazekage around. As time goes by, she grows a comforting feeling towards Gaara. Once the realization settles in, will it be shattered into a million pieces when Sakura is one of the main targets of the Akatsuki?
1. Coming of The Kazekage

**Annyeong everyone! This GaaSaku fanfic has been created by me a while back...like 5 years ago in deviantart and I had stopped. I moved it to this site as a continuation of the fan fiction! Gaara and Sakura has always been my favorite pair and I always shipped them together. I really hope Mr. Kishimoto makes them interact more :3 It'd be nice! Anyways please enjoy! \m/**

**Oh and I do not own Naruto! :3**

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Chapter1: The Coming Of The Kazekage

"Naruto Uzumaki! If you throw one more ball at me again, I swear I'll send you flying over the village!"

shouted Sakura Haruno at Naruto, her friend. The one who claims to be the future Hokage someday.

Naruto chuckled nervously, "Hehe, Sorry Sakura. I really didn't mean to -hah!" With one hard throw, he sent a ball flying straight towards her.

But Sakura was quick enough to dodge it and yell, "Naruto you asked for it!" She began to chase him around. Naruto sure was quick though. He jumped from building to bulding laughing like a maniac at the angry Sakura.

"OUTTA THE WAY GUYS!" In a flash, Naruto zoomed by Neji and Lee only to receive a shaking fist from Rock Lee. He had almost crashed into them.

"Sorry guys!" Sakura, without a sweat, jumped over the two ninjas and continued to chase Naruto all over the village.

* * *

''It sure was nice of you to accept our invitation, Kazekage-sama. Where are your siblings?" asked Tsunade-sama, curiously.

"They had to stay back for patrol duty," he answered shortly. The reason why Gaara was in Konoha was because of Tsunade and the counselors who decided that it would be nice if they invited the Kazekage of the sand village to the festival that was coming up less than several days. He really didn't wanted to go, but Temari and Kankuro insisted him to. For a little break. Besides, ever since Shukaku has left his body, his behavior towards other people changed. But he still he was a bit quiet. All that has happened, him being kidnapped by the akaktsukis and all, they wanted him to forget the whole thing and have a great time at the summer festival that was coming.

Tsunade glanced at the clock and frowned, where can Sakura be? She asked herself. a few days ago, Sakura had volunteered to escort The Kazekage to the hotel since nobody else wanted to. Her helper, Shizune, wasn't in the village, she fleed to some other village to do some business there for a short matter of time.

The Kazekage and Hokage stepped outside. Waiting for Sakura to arrive. After a few minutes had passed by, they both heard shouting an hollering.

''Naruto! Get back here!'' shouted Sakura.

Tsunade-sama recognized that shouting from anywhere. It was Sakura. What took her so long? It was about time she arrived!

''HAHA~~ You can't catch me Sakura! Admit it, you're too slow-woh!'' Naruto was just about to crash into the Kazekage but was quick enough to jump up over him and Tsunade.

Frowning and her hands on her hips, Tsunade punched Naruto from the top of his the head, '' Ahem! HELLO! The Kazekage is here!''

Sakura who was running so fast that she couldn't see anything pass by, headed straight towards the Kazekage.

Gaara turned around to see who was coming next. But when he saw a pink haired girl coming at full speed he stepped aside along with Tsunade and let the pink haired medic tackle Naruto.

The two friends wrestled on the ground, ''HAH! Who's slow now, tough guy! Who's SLOW NOW!?'' shouted Sakura pinching Naruto's nose and hitting his head non-stop.

The Hokage cleared her throat, ''Sakura! Come here,'' she demanded

Sakura looked up at her teacher and smiled nervously, remembering that she promised to escort The Kazekage to the hotel since Tsunade-sama had a meeting to attend in a few more minutes. She got up and fixed her headband that was loosened from the chase and walked towards her teacher. _Why does he need an escort?_ She asked herself.

Naruto who just noticed Gaara's appearance, smiled widely, ''Hey Granny...Gaara!'' He got up running passed Sakura and shoving her aside which made her face turn more scary than what she already was.

Happy to see the Kazekage again, Naruto smiled, ''It's great to see you again, Gaara. Hey you accepted our invitation, I see! And-"

Tsunade sighed, irritated. The wind blew hard against their faces and black clouds were moving in quickly. The Hokage noticed, ''Naruto, weren't you supposed to meet Kakashi at the training field like 15 minutes ago?''

Naruto totally forgot about his sensei. He quickly turned to Gaara and said goodbye and purposely shoved Sakura aside with his elbow.

''Sakura I'm late for my meeting. Now you escort The Kazekage to the hotel, got it? Later on I need to see you in my office for a talk.'' Without saying anything else, Tsunade disappeared into thin air and left The Kazekage and her student alone.

Sakura, who didn't know what to say, just cleared her throat and lead the way. At first she tried to have a conversation with him, but it didn't really work out well. The two continued on walking in silence. Until Sakura broke it, ''Do you need some help carrying your luggage?'' She offered nicely.

Gaara just shook his head in response.

_What am I supposed to say to the Kazekage?_ She asked herself. It was pretty difficult to ever get to talk to him. So she gave up and just stayed silent. The hotel he was staying in was near the ramen shop that Naruto usually goes to everyday. It had been constructed during the winter. It was brand new and lots of people who came from other villages stayed there. _Why couldn't The Kazekage just walk there by himself? I mean it's near the ramen shop. I have so much catching up to do on my med- _

''Haruno... how have you been?''

The question caught Sakura by surprise. Finally he said something. Sakura looked at him and smiled, ''I've been great. Lots of training lately,'' her gaze fell upon the road as usual when you feel akward, ''How about you? How's it going in Suna?''

''It's ok..I guess. Everything's back to normal for the moment.'' Gaara looked back at her and noticed that she looked different from the day she came to rescue him from the akatsukis. Well, maybe she still looks the same, only that he didn't take a good look at her before.

Sakura caught him looking at her and pretended not to notice, ''How's Temari-san and Kankuro-san? I haven't heard from them in a long time ever since...you know.''

The Kazekage focused back on the road too and sighed, ''They're okay. They couldn't come since they are in patrol duty. And well...busy. They might be attending the festival if they get a 2 days break from all the work they have been doing."

Now what made Sakura feel uncomfortable was walking beside the Kazekage. She felt pretty embarrassed too. Because she couldn't save him that day when he didn't wake up. 3 years of hard training and she couldn't save him or bring him back to life. When he laid perfectly still on the ground, lifeless, it made her burst into to tears. Well Naruto burst into to tears also and was going mad. Sometimes she thought it was her fault that Elder Chiyo died for using that jutsu. If she tried harder on reviving him then-

''I know what you're thinking about, Haruno...and I don't blame you for Elder Chiyo's death. You should just forget about it and know that she's resting in peace now. You did try your best to bring me to life...and I thank you for that.''

Sakura's eyes widened a bit, _how did he know what I was thinking about?_

Gaara closed his eyes while walking and opened them as he looked back at her in slow motion. ''The way you're always glancing at me and have an upset expression on your face. That's how I knew you were thinking about that. Quit pondering, Haruno. I'm no longer a major threat. " The warm breeze played with their hair as they walked. There was no rays of light, only black clouds approaching them and getting ready to cover the leaf village like a blanket.

''It's just that...I didn't try my best to save you that day. I bet you thought that I didn't care if you died or not...but I did care that day. I felt like a part of me had died...just seeing you lie on the ground so still...not opening your eyes...not feeling a pulse from you.'' To Sakura, Gaara looked different now. As she stared at him, she noticed the dark circle around his eyes were disappearing a bit. A bit taller too. Maybe he was getting some sleep now. Sakura continued walking but Gaara stopped, ''Why'd you stop?''

''We're here...'' he answered quietly.

Sakura looked to back and there it was. Some people greeted the Kazekage while walking by. Sakura's face turned a light shade red, ''oh...sorry. Umm...well I guess I'll see you later or...tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day, Kazekage-sama and I hope we get to talk some more during you time here in Konoha.'' Sakura gave him one last warm smile that made him grunt. Hearing him grunt made Sakura's smile turn into a worried one, ''What's wrong?''

Gaara looked down and shook his head, ''Nothing, Haruno...nothing. I'll see you later maybe. I'm not planning to stay inside a room all day.''

Sakura watched him go inside the hotel and sighed. It began to rain just when he went inside. A crack of thunder hit the sky like a belt. The rain poured all over the village, darkness shrouded over the village like a blanket. Small raindrops ran down Sakura's cheek as she just stood in the same place where she had watched Gaara go inside. What could of Gaara thought of when she smiled? Did she startle him? Or remided him of somebody? Well, Sakura didn't know the answer to her questions. Kids were playing in the rain puddle and villagers taking cover from the rain. Sakura turned her back, but glanced back at the hotel and caught a glimpse of Gaara looking out a window from his room. Was he looking at her? She shrugged and headed down a road that led to the Hokage tower along with raindrops splashing her face, clothes, shoulders and her pink, silky hair with her headband on top. After a few minutes, thunder stroke again and the raindrops came down hard this time. Sakura began to jog, her hair stuck to her soaken wet face.

Gaara watched her jog down the road. He placed a hand against the window saying her name aloud. His breath fogged up the windown and he wiped it quickly, but the medic had already disappered around the corner. When she smiled at him, it made him feel nervous. Her smile had really affected him. Something about her made him feel so nervous.

_''-I did care that day. I felt like a part of me had died...just seeing you lie on the ground so still and not opening your eyes... not feeling a pulse from you,''_ she had said. That really meant something to Gaara. Someone cared. Of course he knew Naruto cared too, and so did Matsuri, a couple of his students and his siblings. In fact, he has gained respect from his village even thought they still had some fear lingering in the air. But Sakura Haruno cared also... What made her different from the rest who cared? Gaara hoped that he would get to talk to her again soon. Not tomorrow, but sooner that day.

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I hope you guys liked the first chapter so far! :3 please review! lemme know what you think!


	2. Blossoming Feelings

**Decided to update the second chappy since it's finished and saved :3 Here's the second chappy! Aaah~~ I remember I used to be soooo crazy inlove with this pairing! xD Now that I'm older, I think it sort of died...but reading new GaaSaku fanfics revived that feeling and has me pumped! I'm hoping to revive many GaaSaku groups that ended up being abandoned and forgotten and left many GaaSaku fans out there sad :( **

**ANYWAYS~~~ enjoy! And I do not own Naruto in any way!**

(**If I did...I'd add some GaaSaku fluff since Naruto is an action anime :P)**

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Chapter 2. A Blossoming Feeling

''You wanted to see me, Tsunade-sama?'' asked Sakura, poking her head into the office.

Tsunade looked up from signing papers and smiled, ''ahh, Sakura. Yes I needed to talk to you about something. Come in.''

Sakura opened the door wide open and appeared all wet. Her hair wet and clothes too, ''I apologize for wetting your carpet, Tsunade-sama.''

Again, looking up from her paper, she shrugged, ''It's okay. It'll dry up. Looks like the rain caught you... What if I tell you that you'll have to be The Kazekage's guide until he leaves back to Suna?''

''What? But he knows his way around here. Kazekage-sama has been here before," replied Sakura in utter confusion and wishing that she never volunteered to be the hokage's assistant for the summer. What if she gets him angry or says the wrong things? What if-?

''Come on Sakura. So he won't feel isolated. He came here to have some fun, to relax, and have a stupendously great vacation. He will need someone to show him around and be a friend to him. Well Naruto can help you if he stops training for like at least 5 minutes!"

''But Tsu-''

''No buts Sakura,'' Tsunade cut her off, ''And if you ask why Naruto can't do it, is because you volunteered to be my assistant and remember that Naruto will be leaving the village again only with Kakashi this time, to train more. That boy is going to wear himself out,'' Tsunade said, rolling her eyes, ''I will be delighted if you'll do it.'' Tsuande then gave Sakura a wry smile a few minutes later. Just when Sakura turned to leave, ''Who knows maybe you'll...LIKE him.''

What Tsunade had just said made Sakura's eyes look as if they popped out from watching a smut scene, turned to face the Hokage again and shouted, ''WHAT!? Tsunade-sama you must be out of your mind to be saying things like that. Get serious!'' she then exclaimed.

Tsunade shrugged then chuckled, ''hehe maybe I should pull my self together. I want you to get some rest, understood? But wait downstairs until it stops raining so hard.'' She looked out the window as the rain splashed against the windows roughly.

Sakura said bye to the Hokage and waited downstairs until the rain calmed down a bit. After the rain did calm down, she stepped outside and was headed to the cafe'. Maybe she'd find TenTen or one of her friends to talk to there. What a rainy day...just how I like it, she sniffed the stuffy scent of the rain deeply and smiled. Some birds flew by. She looked up the sky again and at the angry looking black clouds that glared atrociously back at her with a loud crack of thunder.

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After Gaara had unpacked his luggage and belongings, he left outside to take a walk. He didn't wanted to be stuck inside his room like a bird in a cage forever. Suddenly something had occurred to him. He walked on and to the park to see if he can find Sakura. The Kazekage, for the first time had the urge to talk to a specific someone.

As he turned a corned, he saw a strange figure in a black cloak disappear into the wind right before his eyes. His sense of awareness then came to function and he felt a strong presence of chakra fill the air. He continued to walk forward into the crowd of people. His eyes searched the sea of Leaf Villagers for the figure he had seen vanish before him. _I am no fool. I know what I saw. Whoever it was, did not seem to know I had just witnessed that. I must be alert. _He then cringed at the thought of a threat being set upon the village. Could it be? Are the akatsuki going to strike again? _No doubt whoever was that disappeared, is one of them. I must inform the Leaf's Hokage after I speak to Haruno...just in case. More patrols need to be set around the village's perimeter. Especially on the day of the annual Leaf Festival._

Gaara quickened his pace. He desperately searched the crowd for a pink haired girl. Just as he was about to turn back to look for Sakura somewhere else, he sensed her chakra. She was nearby.

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"Really? He was looking at you from his window?! Maybe he likes you, Sakura! Can you believe it? THE Kazekage likes you!' Gaara!"

''SHHHH! TENTEN!'' Sakura glanced at the people around them and they stared at her friend and she. She covered her eyes and groaned. She sank back down on her chair, almost spilling her tea all over the table.

TenTen let out an giggle as she sipped her tea. She put her cup down and sat up, still smiling, "Maybe. I mean why would he look at you from out a window? I mean come on..."

"I said MAYBE. I think he was watching me. When I smiled at him he grunted for some reason." Sakura had a flashback how Gaara had a frown on his face when she smiled. It made her think even more.

Again, TenTen smiled, "Wait you told him that you were worried about him, right?"

Sakura nodded slowly.

"Maybe no one has ever told him that. He might have heard it from Naruto, but not from a girl. Errm...His fangirls Matsuri and the others don't count," she added waving her hand forward, "And what you said to him really meant something or- ohh!" she gasped first then slowly changed to a grinned, "Here he comes now. Good luck, Gaara lover!"

"No, please don't leave me alone! I need you here with me at least!" Sakura hissed at her friend. But TenTen acted as if she couldn't hear her friend and got up from her seat and passed by Gaara and purposely coughed loud enough for Sakura to hear. Sakura had her back on The Kazekage, she acted as if she didn't know he was standing behind her. She had both eyes shut tight waiting for him to say her name...well her last name.

"Haruno? I found you at last," he said looking down at her.

Sakura's eyes flew open quick as she heard him speak, she slowly turned around from her seat and smiled, "Hey, Kazekage-sama. Umm what is it?"

"I just wanted to talk to you some more. Do you mind if you accompany me for a walk?"

Sakura studied his face. His face was calm. Eyes were silver with blood red hair. What made people still fear him? He is so..so...attractive and dangerously handsome..._WHAT!?_ Sakura couldn't believe it either. She looked down so Gaara wouldn't see the affect he has on her at the moment. "Y-yes, G-Gaara-kun-" Shocked at herself she covered her mouth. She disrespected the Kazekage._ No this can't be. I've only talked to him how many times? Ugh! I'm such an idiot! _

From the side, Gaara glanced at her sudden state of embarassment and he let out a small chuckle, "You need not to be afraid, Haruno. It's alright if you refer to me that way...I found it intriguing."

Sakura turned her head slightly to look at the half smiling Gaara, the one blood thirsty Gaara she had confronted a while back when he was about to finish off Sasuke when his demon was taking complete control of him. But now...he seems so calm, and so warm to stand next to. She no longer felt that little bit of fear that kept getting the best of her. She felt dizzy at the realization.

The two of them left outside. Sakura found herself shy walking about an inch beside. When she felt her hand brush against his skin, it sent electric chills through her body. They didn't talk on the way much and Sakura couldn't take the silence no longer, "So...how'd you find me?"

Gaara slowed his pace and looked ahead, "I looked everywhere. I really wanted to talk to you. You make me feel...well...cared."

His answer made her blush a little bit. A pinkish reddish line ran above her nose and down both cheeks. It made Gaara smile a half smile at her. Sakura blushed more and couldn't believe that Gaara, Cold Hearted was smiling. Well, half smiling. What did she do to make him smile like that? It was his first day and already he's said more words to her than anyone else in the village!

"Haruno, do you ever think about love...what does it mean to you? I still don't comprehend it. I want to know what you think," his eyes fell ahead.

"Well, it's special to me, of course. Even though love is beautiful...it is also painful," she sighed before continuing.

Gaara felt his heart clench from the words coming out of her mouth. He slightly frowned and glanced sideways to look at Sakura. _She looks upset...has pain once succumbed her life at some point?_

She continued, "love is the one heavy master key that opens the gate of happiness. True love is unconditional...love is the willingness to do anything for a person, but without the other person asking or wanting anything from the other person. It includes the emotional and physical attraction. Without one attraction, there is no love. If you're talking about complete love, this love never leaves you. Even if the love turns into a friendship, it is there forever.

I once fell deeply inlove with someone. But I got rejected by him countless times. But..now that I'm all grown up and after all the hard training...I don't really worry about it no more. I guess love will come when need be." Sakura felt her vision turn into a blur. Was she about to cry? Of what though? She quickly looked away and wiped her tears away. She knew why, because her last love was Sasuke Uchiha, who really didn't want to have anything to do with Sakura. She had really loved him and the day he left made her world and heart shatter like a million pieces of glass at the same time. Poor Sakura still had to burn every feeling left towards Sasuke. _Come on_, she scolded herself. _You've GOT to shake this off. Think or Talk about something else. MOVE ON!_

But that was hopeless. She couldn't switch her mind off at all and stayed silent.

Gaara glanced at her coldly and waited for her to say something else. If she didn't then he would. Afterward they both stayed silent until they reached some trees to lean their backs against. As they sat Gaara sighed.

"Haruno, a person as luminous as yourself needs to eventually let go of the hate...the anger...and the sadness. Because If you don't, you will just end up being a complete mess. Sakura, you're scintillating. Don't succumb to hate and sadness no longer. Just burn the rest of it away. You said it yourself Sakura, Love will come when need be."

Sakura was caught off guard by his sudden response. The breeze played with his hair and revealed his kanji symbol of love. She tilted her head slightly, and felt the urge to reach out and run the tips of heir fingers against it. _I could only imagine how much terrible pain and sadness he had to endure. Gaara-kun..._

"Haruno, what do I mean to you? I really want to know what I mean to people..."

Sakura sat down a tree next to Gaara. A bit far away so they can both have their space. Calmly and enjoying the wind, she leaned her back against the smooth trunk of a white birch tree. Gazing up, thinking of how to answer his question, she could see the dark blanket covered sky through the budding of tree branches. A gentle wind blew the black angry clouds slowly by. Even though the wind blew the clouds, the dark clouds seemed and looked infinite. As if there were no ending of it.

"Well...Kazekage-sama...I really don't know. I guess I really didn't get to know you well at all. But I do care for you and I want you to know that. Starting now, you're my friend like all the others!" She answered gleefully like her old self from when she was only 13,

"Only you're a special friend! Whatever you need Gaara-kun, you can count on me!" She flashed him a non-toothy smile.

Gaara's face remained peaceful but cold. But in his eyes, Sakura noticed the twinkle of happiness he had. She knew that of what she said just now, really meant something to him. He had another person who cared and for the first time, Gaara, cold hearted, emotionless Gaara, felt happy and full of content.

Sakura's eyes locked on the sky and only the sky until she heard Gaara grunt again, "What is it? Why are you always grunting like that? What did I say?"

Gaara looked down in embarrassment, but when he pulled himself together, he met her green emerald eyes that glistened beautifully, "Haruno...would you like to join me on another walk tomorrow and possibly get soemthing to eat?"

"Sure Gaara-kun. I'd love that! I think I'll go home now. I'll be needing some rest and besides, Tsunade-sama said I'll be your guide during your stay here. So I'll be seeing you almost everyday 'til you leave," she answered excitedly which made Gaara half smile again.

Gaara's eyes twinkled again. His eyes showed emotion. It made him happy knowing that Sakura was happy to be able to see him everyday. "Alright then..I'll see you tomorrow."

Sakura slowly got up and clapped her hands silently, not wanting to show Gaara how happy she was. They both talked for like a few more minutes then parted ways to their shelter.

A date!? No, it was just an invitation from a friend. Nothing else. Or was it a date? She thought on the way home. Sakura was not sure at all. But right away it occurred to her that it wasn't a date. How can it be anyways if it was only day 1? Maybe as they get to know each other more...maybe something between them would begin to erupt and rise from the ground..ready to surprise and shock everyone. Maybe sand and blossom...can combine to become one.

* * *

"-now that we have a hold of Shukaku, and the other jinchurikis...I need to get a hold of the Nine Tailed Fox!" Nagato snarled at Konan and the remaining of the akatsukis who were brought back from the dead.

Deidara, "We won't fail you." He bowed slightly, eyeing Itachi and the rest of the akatsuki who did the same.

Konan went back to her normal relaxed stance and stepped forward, "I received word from Sasuke Uchiha...that the leaf village will be holding a festival of some sort in 3 days. While the villages believe nothing chaotic will occur, I believe that day will be the best to strike and get a hold of Uzumaki. And just Uzumaki. No one will see it coming, all those imbeciles will have their guards down."

Itachi's jaw clenched at hearing his brother's name being mentioned.

Nagato smirked and remained looking down, weakly, "Perfect, Konan. Now that we're at the brink of war, and nearing the climax, we must not fail. We need Uzumaki. The leaf village will have their patrols set up around the perimeter...but I know you all won't fail in taking them out."

"We need to be cautious of Tsunade and Kakashi." Itachi chimed in.

"And the medical ninja of the leaf. She carries extreme power and strength. I've seen it with my own eyes. We need to make sure she's out of their reach since she is the top healer in the village."

And with that being said, the akatsukis had finished plotting their attack on the leaf village.

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**CHYEAH! Second chappy complete! Please review... :3 I have yet to plan out chapter 3. Since winter break has arrived, i will be updating constantly hopefully!**

**Anyways... please review! And stay warm everyone!**


	3. She's All That

**Hello Everyone! Okay so from this point on, I will be writing in first person from different point views. I'm going to see how it goes. I will be switching from Gaara's point of view to Sakura's point of view. then back to third person for the enemy. I'll probably switch to third person again but eh I'll see how it goes! I do not want to upset my readers :3 I promise there will be some fluff between the two in the next chapter. I don't want it to get too fluffly since I'm trying to build up Gaara's and Sakura's connection towards one another.**

**Anyways, I'm trying to avoid any cliches...it's real hard. Please let me know what you think! I typed this up in the car on the way back to Chicago. On the way back home I saw this BEAUTIFUL sunrise and I was just stunned. Sometimes people are succumbed into technology that we don't even notice the beauty of nature around us... But yeah! The sunrise description is from what I had seen in the morning. Enjoy! :3**

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Chapter 3: She's All That

_**Gaara**_

I watched as the large glowing sphere rose slowly into the dull morning sky. Casting sunbeams in every direction while it illuminated the village. It was incredible to witness this everyday. I stared out into the scenery from the hotel's rooftop. The wind blew gently against my face, and I inhaled the fresh and grassy aroma of the morning. The leaves danced in the air as the warm breeze continued to make its way past the village. As the colors made by the rising sun changed, it grew more vivid with the passing time. The warmth of the sun's beams gently touched my face and I slowly closed my eyes. It was so warm...It felt nice to feel such warm comfort against my skin. As the colors in the sky changed, it made the sky more radiant as it climbed higher and higher. As beautiful as the morning was I knew today would be a bit hectic since Uzumaki's yelling disturbed my thoughts from down below.

"Ha-hey Gaara! Watcha doin' up there!? Wanna go grab something to eat? Can ya hear me!? GAARA~~~!"

"Naruto, please! Some people are still trying to get their beauty sleep!" Yelled out Lee who then appeared out of thin air and tried to cover up Naruto's loud mouth.

I couldn't help but grin in my amusement, watching the two. A soft chuckle escaped my lips and in a split second the sand engulfed me to teleport me down below.

I greeted the two friends and instantly I realized I did not find them as annoying as before. It felt different...being able to call these two my friends. Most of the time, flashbacks of my past would come and go whenever I am greeted by the people in my village. They no longer fear me. Some do, but not like before. My siblings and I were now closer and each passing day, I am grateful that I am not the bloodlusting monster I was before. Not to mention having two girls behave in a strange way over me: Matsuri and Sari. The two made me feel accepted as my siblings and village did...especially Naruto Uzumaki. The thought made me feel warm like the sun's light against my skin, no longer the ice-cold being I was. The feeling of being engulfed in hatred, solitude, and killer instincts almost made me cringe remembering at how I would smirk evily whenever I had just finished taking the life of someone and bathed in their splattering, falling blood.

Rock Lee and Naruto shattered my thoughts once again. What were they rambling about now?

"-said she's going with me!" Naruto tried to show more power over Lee but it did not seem to work, for Lee is not the type to back down from a fight...or argument.

"Nonsense, Naruto! I think you will have to go get your ears cleaned out! My Blossom said she'd go with ME to the Annual Leaf Festival!" Lee stood tall and proud and flashed Naruto a cocky-toothy smile, making Naruto growl and shake his fist to the other.

I couldn't help but chuckle at their argument. Who were they arguing over? Was it that important that it made Uzumaki forget about his stomach?

Naruto and Lee argued for what seemed like an eternity. I let out a heavy sigh and looked the right only to see the pink-haired nin walking our way. The two baboons did not seem to notice until Haruno, with one blow, sent the two of them flying upwards. Some seconds later, they ended up crashing towards the ground with a loud thud.

"I COULD HEAR YOU TWO ARGUING FROM DOWN THE BLOCK! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO-"

Naruto and Lee had already gotten up and placed a finger on their lips, signaling the pink-haired nin to tone it done as well.

"Hmph! I do NOT know how you two believe I'm going with either of you. The two of you have never even asked me! AND IM TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP!"

Haruno did not seem to notice me, until I took a step forward and and tilted my head a little, "Are we required to be accompanied by a partner?"

Haruno quickly turned to look my way and I could say, she was turning a bright shade of red. Naruto noticed this and he began to shove Haruno's arm playfully with his elbow only to result in getting hit in the head.

"Well, not really. You don't have to. Families go together, or friends go together in groups. But some just want to go with the one person they wish they spend that night with. It's real fun! A couple of years ago, we got to launch Naruto in a pool of-"

Naruto quickly threw himself on Lee and covered his mouth, laughing nervously.

My eyes shifted to Haruno. _Why is she looking at me like that? _

Haruno seemed to have shaken out of her thoughts and rubbed the back of her head, almost as if she were uncomfortable with something. _Was it me?_

I was almost shocked of myself when I realized my eyes suddenly had a mind of their own and began to scan her body from head to toe. I have never seen a woman dress this way before. Exposing her muscle toned legs in such way. Why would Haruno wear clothing like those out in the open? Do all women dress like this in the mornings here in Konohagakure?

"I have to go you guys. Umm...Kazekage-sama, I will meet you at the park around noon so I can show you around the rest of the day!"

There it was, her bright illuminating smile again...at me. I nodded slightly in agreement. As she turned to leave, us three continued down the street to Naruto's usual favorite place to eat ramen. I did not mind though. I was starving myself and I do not usually tend to eat as much as Uzumaki does. I glance back at Haruno walking away. As if she felt my eyes on her, she looked back as well. I must admit, I felt some sort of attraction towards the kunoichi. I did not have such feelings towards her, but her presence felt warm and radiant that permeated throughout my body. She is all that impressive. I have heard from my siblings that she was able to cure Kankuro from Sasori's poison and she came on her own will, like Naruto, to rescue me. She and the other had risked their lives for me. Even if I was an enemy to her before, she still came and fought to rescue me. It was Haruno and Elder Chiyo that had taken out the akatsuki Sasori in the end. Sakura IS all that impressive knowing that she took part in taking down an akatsuki, a powerful one too. Instead of turning back to watch where she is going, she stops and smiles warmly at me. What was it about this Haruno? I have barely spoken to her, probably a couple of times, and I felt as if we-

"HELLO~~~Gaara, you're paying right!?"

Hmph...Uzumaki is such a character.

* * *

**_Sakura_**

_The raven haired boy took another step towards me...with a blade in his grip. With each step he took, his glare grew deadlier. _

_"Y-you're back! Just wait until Naruto-"_

_Sheesh was I that stupid to even say that when he's holding a deadly weapon that could end my life? _

_I was greeted by my once loved one harshly. He grabbed the back of my head and tugged fiercely at my hair. A sharp pain radiated my all over my head. I was forced to meet his eyes when I felt the metal slice through my skin with little effort and dug straight in, the other end poking out at my back. Instantly, I cried out in pain and felt the effect of the blade. A searing burn flared up my side, consuming me in agony and making my mind go blank. Besides pain, nerves were starting to rise in me. Why is he doing this? What have I done? The man jerked the blade in a bit further before yanking it out suddenly. My vision blurred as tears lined my eyes. I felt the cold, hard concrete underneath me as I fell in a heap, slamming into the ground and shaking with shock and fear._

_"I told you to stay out of our way...you annoying fool."_

_... ... ... ..._

"Ugh...what a nightmare. To think, that actually felt real!" I stated outloud, slowly rising up from bed and stretching my muscles out, deliciously feeling the bones pop into place.

I looked out the window and realized it was still early out, the sun hasn't risen up yet. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue mixed purple and then faded off with pink. I turned to look at the clock, still tired and forcing to keep my eyes open. It read 6:43 am. I still have three hours of sleep until I have to go meet with the kazekage. I yawned heavily. _I'll just sleep in for about a couple of more hours-_

"Watcha doing' up there!? GAARA~~~!"

That voice! I placed a pillow over my head to cover my ears from whoever was yelling. The yelling continued as a second voice chimed in and was arguing with the other person. I tossed the pillow to the side and groggily turned to the other side to look at the clock. 6:45 am. Who has the nerve to argue about whatever at this time!?

Thinking the arguing would stop by now, I kicked the bed sheets from me and I felt steam shoot out from my ears. That voice...that loud VOICE! I know that voice anywhere!

Without getting dressed, I stood on the window pane of my bedroom and leaped to the ground outside. I stepped into the still empty street and saw a couple of familiar figures down the street by the new hotel a block down. NARUTO! I was too fired up to even recognize who were the other two and I stomped the block towards Naruto and whoever was shouting back at him.

Without making a sound, I snuck up behind the two and gave them a piece of my irritated mind.

"I COULD HEAR YOU TWO ARGUING FROM DOWN THE BLOCK! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO-"

Naruto and Lee both shushed me at the same time after quickly scrambling back up, making me growl and crack my knuckles.

"Hmph! I do NOT know how you two believe I'm going with either of you. The two of you have never even asked me!"

I felt someone's eyes on me. Who was also around? I turned to look and saw the Kazekage standing a few feet away from us.

"Are we required to be accompanied by a partner?"

My eyes locked with the Kazekage's cold jade eyes. Realizing that I had exposed myself in front of my friends in my night-clothes, which were a pair of night shorts and a loose tank top. I was utmost embarrassed of my night shorts. From all the training with Lady-Tsunade, my thighs have toned up real good and the muscle of my thighs popped out of those shorts. These shorts used to fit on me loosely, until the miraculous training began. I felt my face grow entirely hot. Meeting his eyes once again, my milky skin gave away a shade of red.

Naruto had noticed this and the idiot began to nudge my arm with his elbow, grinning like a weirdo. I knew where he was coming from, so I gave him a good punch to the head.

"Well, not really. You don't have to. Families go together, or friends go together in groups. But some just want to go with the one person they wish they spend that night with. It's real fun! A couple of years ago, we got to launch Naruto in a pool of-"

Naruto cut off Lee and began to laugh nervously. I remember that day. We had so much fun: Neji, Hinanta, Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei , Jiraiya, basically the Leaf gang! We stuck together throughout the entire festival! Well not fully, some of us did wander off in small groups afterwards. But I can sure say we stuck together and had a real stupendous time at the festival some years back. Though, I do not remember what Naruto had fallen into...and I know for a fact it wasn't pleasant if Naruto does not want Lee to tell the Kazekage of this event.

_Great! I just had to go be such a grouch and step outside like this! ...I wonder what he's thinking?_

The Sand's red haired Kazekage continued to look at me almost in innocence. I was surprised to even see his eyes showed another kind of emotion rather than the blood curling ones I had known a while back. Or the angry ones. Not to mention the emotionless ones.

I told the Kazekage, I'd meet him around noon and sped off waving back to Naruto and Lee. _But seriously since when did they ask me to go with them? _

I felt a pair of eyes on me. I spun around and met the Kazekage's eyes again. I stopped and simply smiled at him...almost as if I felt this strong sort of connection towards the guy.

... ... ... ...

I hated how noisy the village could be, but then again, it felt like home and it filled my thoughts when it wanders off. I don't know how some people in the streets could tolerate such ruckus. I guess that's how a big village is when it has a large amount of citizens living in it. The Kazekage seemed to be interested in the people's activities, ignoring some stares and whispers of the people. I wish they would stop, I don't want Gaara to feel like an outcast.

"Hey, you're like a famous person walking the streets with me! Don't feel discouraged, Gaara-kun!"

His eyes turned slightly to look at me without turning his head. I couldn't read his expression, I assume he was annoyed with my choice of words.

As I pushed through the crowd into the busiest place of the village, I was completely stunned. There was a feeling of uncertainty as I crossed the road with the Kazakage by my side, flooded by people. The clanging of the dinner bells could be heard from customers walking in or out of the restaraunts. Girls were standing and continuously gossiping, their eyes glued to Gaara. The soda man was opening the bottles which produced a popping noise, while his partner was pounding his hand on the desk during his argument with a customer.

"I have never seen a village full of activities. Everyone is...alive."

A giggle escaped my lips and I turn my head slightly to look at the Kazekage, "Of course they're alive, you silly!"

Gaara turned his head to return the look as well, and looked at me in confusion, "Silly?" he paused for a moment, "You think I'm silly?"

_Uh oh...did I just piss him off? _I slapped my forehead and groaned to myself for my poor choice of words towards the Sand's Kazekage.

As if he sensed my embarrassment he slightly smiled, barely, and tilted his head a bit.

I don't know what's up with me or why was I feeling something intense towards him. I was not attracted to him, but I felt as if we can connect in some way. This feeling had me confused about why was I having a connection with Gaara. As we reached the park, I plopped myself down on a bench by a huge water fountain. Gaara sat down on the same bench but kept his distance from me. _I bet he finds me annoying..._

* * *

"Looks like we got the Kazekage in the Leaf Village as well."

Konan and Itachi camauflauged into the highest trees above and looked down at the two fgures below: Gaara and Sakura.

Deidara appears next to Konan, and lets out a heavy snort, "Thought the freak had died when we extracted Shukaku from his body."

"Well, you thought wrong." Itachi folded his arms across his chest and leaned his back against a tree, his eyes on the pink haired medic. He remembered the last time he had fought with her, and no doubt she's grown to be a strong woman who possesed a monstrous amount of chakra and strength. He eyed the girl intensely and before they could be spot by them, they disappeared from the branch and appeared on one of the highest mountains in Konoha.

"That girl...she is also a big threat to our plan." states Konan.

Sasori then appears alongside his akatsuki members, ""That girl is incredibly powerful. Don't let her bright and cheery appearance deceive you. She is as strong as Tsunade is. As long as we get the medic kunoichi and the fifth hokage out of the way, Uzumaki is as good as ours,"

Sasori continued, "When we attack the village to capture the Nine Tails, she will immidiately fight to defend Uzumaki. So will the other higher shinobis and kunoichis. With that medic kunoichi out of the way, the others cannot be healed or be aided and we will kill whoever else gets in the way. It will be easy knowing that they are merely weak compared to our power."

"And when we surprise the village with Deidara's explosions, Tsunade will surely summon Katsuyu to her people's aid which will drain all of her chakra. She will be merely weak as well to even strike a fist," added Itachi.

The sun was blazing that day; its unbearable heat kept the four akatsuki within the confines of the shades made by the trees. No one could bear to be outside - Konan felt as if she was in an oven every time she stepped out to meet the suns furious blaze. She stood below a thick branch of a tree and watched the trees sway gently. They hated such heat and such light. They only wished to be in the cool darkness, where they cannot be distrubed by the sun's blazing light.

"You leave Sakura to me."

The four akatsuki looked to the side without turning to heads to spot Sasuke Uchiha sitting on a thich branch to the tree next to them. Itachi's eyes slowly closed to form a slight glare to his brother...his blood. They waited for him to continue.

"I'll be able to take her out in a flash. Don't even dare lay a finger on her, I'll kill her myself." Sasuke stood up, not even glancing at the four and he vanished.

No one said a word but nodded, even though Sasuke had already departed. The four akatsuki turned to leave and disappeared at once.

* * *

**Konichiwa everyone! Merry Christmas! Well...Christmas Eve! I'm sorry if this chapter was somewhat rushed, but I tried to update as soon as possible! I am trying to build up their friendship and attraction towards each other slowly. I do not want that part to be rushed :3**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter and rising action. I promise there will be more interaction between our Gaara and Sakura in the next chapter to come!**

**Please stay warm everyone and Merry Christmas! **

**-KPOP_MetalChik**


	4. The Past and The Present

**OK! Here is chapter 4! I'm not too late in updating am I? It's only been two days :D**

**and yes, if you have noticed, I changed the title of the story. I felt as if the previous title I had for this fanfic sounded too cliché and cheesy. I don't know, the previous title was the one I came up with for the fanfic back when I was 13 years old xD Anyways before I continue working on this fanfic even further, I came up with a more "better" title I guess. **

**This Chapter: I must warn you, it's a bit long and lacks a bit of fluff between the two...I know I promised there'd be more fluff but**

** I want to get the connection between the two out there first. it's not always good to rush things! :D **

**I hope you have enjoyed the story so far! I must say, it's not going to end soon ;) I have a lot of ideas for this story and will be presenting them to my readers.**

**I think I've made my point through in writing this chapter. Aaah this is such an awesome pairing! Anyways enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4: The Past and The Present

**Gaara**

The sun drowned in the horizon, its beams of receding light glimmered in the darkness as the heavy clouds faded and the pale moon peaked at me from the glistening the stars above. The humid, thick yet calming breeze of the Leaf Village gently stroked my skin; it was a sensual feeling. Witnessing such beauty every night almost gave me this feeling of hope, watching the striking stars suddenly become visible in the endless celestial sky above. To me, the stars symbolized hope and renewal. The only source of light in the black and isolated little world I enclosed my self in, shutting any source of contact from the outside world and those around me who only saw me as...a demonic beast risen from the fiery depths of hell. Uzumaki had triggered something deep inside me that day, undoing my blindfolds that had kept me from seeking friendship, peace, and...love. Every positive aspect that was the complete opposite of what I used to exist for.

Gazing at the stars above had me realize if I were to reach out a bit more, there is still hope for me...hope that there are positive things in stored for me in the future. I have walked in darkness for almost my entire life, always seeking to kill...to be feared...and to feel the agonizing screams of those I murdered. I was deeply lost with hatred. Hate is the force that can make even the most gentle person turn into the worst being ever created...to ever roam the earth. I was death and evil walking on the very grounds everyone else had walked on, always trying to control my temper and anger and hate towards others when Shukaku would boil deep within my being, and would flash these horrific, gory images of the people I have killed...their blood splattering everywhere with me enjoying every speck of blood that sprayed on my skin.

I slowly looked at both of my hands and stared at them for a while. I have never killed anyone with my bare hands. To think I was a mass murdered and controlled the sand to cause such atrocities. The person I've become now is thanks to Uzumaki. I had hope in me. There was a light at the end of the never-ending tunnel I've walked through most of my life. Uzumaki guided me towards that light, but now I must reach it. And maybe at the other end of that tunnel, someone will be there waiting for me.

My thoughts shattered when suddenly I heard faint familiar yelling coming from a group of people become louder with each passing second. I leaned a bit over to look and saw it was Uzumaki, Lee, the two Hyugas, Inuzuka, Aburame, Ten Ten , Yamanaka, Nara, the over sized shinobi who would never stop eating, and... Haruno. My eyes stayed on Sakura for a moment.

When Sakura- just saying her name made me feel so...keen? Anyways, she had said something so similar to what I had once said when I was little. It made my pounding heart skip a beat and a sharp cold shiver traveled down my spine when those words came out of her mouth. Earlier that day, I had walked away without bidding farewell. The thought of doing so made me feel this rising guilt in the pit of my stomach. The girl could relate to me in every way. From being alone to wanting acceptance. The kunoichi made me feel uneasy almost as if she made me feel...flustered? Could I be experiencing that? The feeling when a person's face turns a bright shade of red when being anxious around someone's presence?

"Hey Gaara! Come on down!" Uzumaki's loud words were clear despite the clamorous crowd of people down below.

In an instant I had done so and let the remaining sand slither its way back into my gourd.

"Gaara where on earth did you disappear to, huh? Sakura was looking _EVERYWHERE_ for you!" Ten Ten had spoken, slyly smirking towards Haruno. Haruno glared at her friend and I could tell she was trying to avoid my eyes.

"Yeah! You vanished from the face of the earth! She was worried sick! Sakura said you ditched-" before Yamanaka could speak any more, Haruno wrapped an arm around the blonde and began to wrestle her to the ground.

I felt everyone's eyes on me, waiting for my response. I crossed my arms and looked away from them, "I wanted to be left alone, that's all."

"You could have at least told me," the pink-haired kunoichi took a step forward with a look of concern on her face, "I'm assigned to guide you around, Kazekage-sama. What if something bad happened to you? You just can't wander off without-"

"I'm not a child. I can take care of myself, Haruno." I almost snarled when saying that, making the pink haired nin flinch slightly. I instantly regretted sounding that way. My response came out a bit too harsh and the reason was unknown to me. I haven't spoken that way to what seemed like a decade. Agitation surrounds me in her presence. I just couldn't bear to look at her. Why am I feeling like this? It's all so new to me that it felt so...amiable.

* * *

**Sakura**

_"Sakura...why are you sad?"_

_"Sad? Do I look upset, Gaara-kun?"_

_"I can sense it. You have a look in your eyes."_

_My eyes dropped to the ground and I looked away from Gaara. Am I really that easy to read? _

_"I keep having these really bad dreams lately and it brings back so much painful memories. I know my past is nothing compared to Naruto's or Hinata's or even yours, Kazekage-sama but deep down I am still the scared little girl I was. It somehow tries to crawl out from me over again. My father always tells me to suck it up or else I'll never become stronger if I keep lingering in the past. About the bullying, the loneliness, wanting acceptence...and my broken heart. My dad is a proud Haruno. He is very intelligent and tactical in his missions. I've always looked up to him when I was little and wanted his acceptance. But I was nothing but a whiny cry baby. When he found out about Sasuke's departure from the village, he told me my long-term crush on Sasuke was nothing to feel hurt about nor was my past, because it wasn't as ragged as others. I don't mean to sound like a cry baby, but I feel wounded. Not physically but...emotionally." _

_I turned to look at Gaara and he continued to look ahead, not glancing back even once. I continued, _

_"Heh...maybe I'm injured too, like everyone else. It hurts right here," I lifted my right hand and placed it on my chest, where my heart was, "I'm not hurting, but my chest really hurts here."_

_... ... ... ..._

Sadness. The art of not being content. It's like when the heart sinks into a deep abyss. Like the day Sasuke had left. I don't why why I have been feeling so alone and so sad lately. Could it be those murderous dreams about Sasuke? The sadness was eating me alive, shattering the warmth and confidence from within, quickly the feeling of security diminished. Sadness is where shame and confusion fills in their absence_. _Most people who have been sad during their existence, feel as if it consumes their entire life, and often it will block a logical reason. The person often feels as if nothing "good" will ever be felt again in their lifetime. Then the question comes to mind what exactly is "good." It could be a variety of things to other people, therefore it would be hard to describe such an emotion because we all view the world from a different perspective.

"I wonder where Gaara wandered off to? I really need to keep my loud mouth from spilling out a bunch of crap," I said to my self while strolling through the streets of Konoha.

The Kazekage had ditched me when I was pouring my feelings out on him. I guess he found it annoying or weird and decided to leave. I felt like an idiot. Why would the Kazekage want to hear about my problems? _GIRL_ problems especially. I sighed and plopped myself down on a stool in front of an ice cream parlor. I ordered a double scoop cone of strawberry ice cream.

"Make that three, please!"

Lifting my head from my hand, I turned to look to my left to find Ino and Ten Ten sit down beside me.

Ino smiled wryly at me lifting up her eye brows twice, "How's your date going with Gaara, Sakura~~~"

I looked at her bluntly and in return she stuck her tongue out at me, "He ditched me. Ah! I have to find him before Tsunade-sama finds him wandering around alone! I'm supposed to look after him!"

Ten Ten's eyes widened a bit, "Why?"

"I guess something I said to him earlier might have disturbed him...or he finds me annoying."

"Oh, Sakura! Don't worry we will find him and get him to apologize!" Ino turns around and waves her arms while jumping up and down, "Hey Shikamaru! Chouji! Tell Naruto and the others to keep their eyes open for Gaara! Or else Sakura will be in _BIG_ trouble with Tsunade-sama!"

Did she have yell it out!? Sometimes I wonder if she's even louder than me! Oh no... Even worst. Naruto will be heard throughout the village with that loud mouth of his!

Shikamaru and Chouji were on the other side of the street and to my dismay, there stood Neji and Lee along with the rest of the group. Could this day get any better? I didn't need them all to know what had happened! My shoulders slumped forward and so did my head.

"Don't worry, I'll find Gaara in a jiffy!"

That voice...I recognized _THAT VOICE._

"Hey Sakura! Are you gonna eat that? Thanks!"

Naruto took my ice cream cone from my hand and gobbled it down in one bite. Could I not be more embarrassed? I couldn't even enjoy my ice cream! _I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO TAKE A LICK!_

_... ... ... ..._

A couple of hours had passed and we have tried to look for the Kazekage. Where could he have gone to? I felt so bad, I should have kept my problems to myself instead of bothering the Kazekage about it. I must have chased him away pretty darn good for him to be hiding out up until now. The moon had settled over the dark sky. I grew even more worried about Gaara. I'm his guide, it was my duty to make sure he has a good relaxing time here. But NOOO I had to keep running my mouth and let my feelings out. Ugh!

For a minute there I thought I made conversation with Gaara by telling him what was going on in my head. It's been a while since I've poured my feelings out with a friend to comfort me. I guess I was wrong when I had opened up to gaara about what was troubling me. One thing I learned about Gaara's past, from Temari and Kankuro, was that Gaara was betrayed. A crumpling feeling that makes you desperate for attention, approval, and affection. It makes you feel nauseous. It crushes your self-esteem, your trust, and drags you down to the pits of the earth. For Gaara, this specific person had tried to assassinate him by orders from his father, the fourth Kazekage, and resulted in tragedy. The betrayal Gaara had gone through was like taking his first flight high up into the sky; everything's too fast to fathom, and as he dived down at full speed his stomach lurched into his throat, choking him and making a huge tangle of organs and intestines. And when he landed back to earth, things are a bit clearer, but everything is still dizzy and he felt numb. Or, worse, all his nerves were alive as ever and his senses were heightened. To even describe his feelings that way made my stomach lurch and felt it in my throat, I wanted to cry for him. For all that he's been through.

_Of course! I must have said something that triggered his memory...his past. How can I be such an idiot! But then again-_

"Hey Gaara! Come on down!"

My head shot up to the direction where Naruto was shouting at.

It was Gaara.

At the moment I felt diffident and took a step back behind the group. Ino seemed to have noticed because she grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

By the time I looked back up, the Kazekage had already presented himself before us. I quickly dropped my eyes, avoiding eye contact with him. I couldn't help but feel deeply embarrassed.

"Gaara where on earth did you disappear to, huh? Sakura was looking _EVERYWHERE_ for you!" Ten Ten chimed in. I wanted to pummle her when she said that! _Come on Ten Ten, you could have lied a little!_

"Yeah! You vanished from the face of the earth! She was worried sick! Sakura said you ditched-" before Ino could blab on, I swung my arm around her neck and took her down.

"I wanted to be left alone, that's all."

I took a deep breath and set my thoughts aside, "You could have at least told me. I'm assigned to guide you around, Kazekage-sama. What if something bad happened to you? You just can't wander off without-"

"I'm not a child. I can take care of myself, Haruno" Gaara almost growled those words out. I was taken aback and took a step back. A cloud of akwardess had settled in our little atmosphere. Lee seemed to have sensed the minor conflict between me and Gaara, so he broke the ice by suggesting we'd go eat somewhere. Like always, we headed to Naruto's favorite ramen shop. Naruto and Lee were playing a round of rock papers scissors, walking ahead of the group. Neji and Gaara were chatting up ahead as well. When Naruto began his little scene of victory over Rock Lee, Neji looked at him in annoyance to get him stop his loudness, but that didn't work. Shino and Kiba were a bit behind chatting with Chouji and Shikamaru. And-

"So Sakura, do you have your kimono picked out for Saturday?"

I glanced at Hinata. Sometimes I am still surprised at how confident she has grown. She was no longer the shy girl who'd always stutter and choke at her own words. Especially when it came to Naruto.

"Umm no actually."

Ten Ten walked up next to me and slipped her arms around my own, "Hmmm I think this means we must go shopping tomorrow!"

Ino linked her arm with my left and Hinata linked hers with Ino. I had almost forgotten how good it felt to have these guys around. A wave of relief had settled within me knowing that the rivalry I once held with Ino over Sasuke had ended. But I was still not going to live under her shadow as I did when I was little. I have grown exceedingly strong. Aside from that, the feeling of solace felt light, as is a brick lifted from my shoulders. Especially with the attacks occurring and ongoing missions, I felt more at ease. Maybe still holding the annual leaf festival wasn't too much of a careless idea after all. We deserved to have fun for some time, it's not as if we were going to party the entire week and let our guards down. No way!

"Umm...Sakura? Do you have a date for the festival?"

Kiba's sudden question broke into my thoughts and my eyes shot up to meet his, "Are you asking me out?"

Kiba shook his head and waved his hands out in front of him, signaling I've gotten the wrong idea.

Well don't I feel stupid. Can't this day get any better?

"Oh. Umm no I don't. I think I'm just going to-"

Chouji jumped beside Kiba, surprisingly he was not munchin on chips like he usually does, "Someone wants to ask you~~~"

* * *

**Gaara**

"I think I would be better off going alone, Naruto."

"Come on, Gaara! Sakura doesn't have a date. I'd ask her but I ended up asking Hinata."

"Can't Lee ask her?"

With a cocky grin, Lee brushed invisible dust off his shoulders and turned towards the group of kunoichis. But Aburame and Hyuga had grabbed his shoulder to jerk him back.

"I think Gaara should ask her out. I trust Sakura with Gaara more than I trust her with you, bushy brow." Naruto's statement had the shinobis break into laughter. A soft and hesitant chuckled had escaped my lips. I had to get used to this kind of human interactions, but I'll learn in time,

The grin that grew on Naruto's and Lee's face only made me think of the worst. The fact that they wanted me to ask Haruno out as my-date was it?- yes, my date to the festival had me confused. Is there a difference between going with your friends and going with a _date? _Does it have to be Sakura? Even if I were to ask her, she would say no judging by the way she was trying to avoid me. I do not blame her since I had left without saying a word. Not to mention replying in such a rasping tone. I was still learning to be around a big crowd and consistently be bugged by Uzumaki and the others. The again, I did not mind. It made me feel...accepted.

"Gaara wants to ask you something~~~" Lee, Uzumaki, Inuzuka had interposed at the same time.

I suddenly felt like being submerged in the sand and appear back in Suna. I honestly did not have time for this. I should be in the Sand Village, finishing up papers and making sure the village is safe and in tact, protecting them from any menaces that was to come our way. Then it came to mind that the other day, I had seen a suspicious figure vanish infront of my eyes. Whoever it was, held an immense amount of chakra. I had reported this to the Leaf's Hokage shortly after leaving Haruno behind. She had asked her assistant to have extra security and patrol teams set up around the entire perimeter of the village. At first she thought of cancelling the Leaf's event, but then discarded it since many that were invited had arrived and the park was done being decorated and tents were already set up.

I came face-to-face with Sakura. A frisson feeling crept up my body and clung to it. I only stared at the pink-haired kunoichi and studied her appearance. To think such a woman who once was as delicate as a flower pedal under my deadly grasp was now more fierce in terms of strength, power.

Sakura Haruno.

She has the potential to one day rival the fifth Hokage in terms of medical skills and strength. Her milky light skin rivaled my very own pale skin and so did her eyes. They were somewhat like my own. Those green emerald eyes glimmered with many flowing emotions, but also hid some that did not want to be easily detected. We were not so different from each other after all. In the end, Haruno and I seek for one thing: to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. To be able to reach to the stars, and hope that one day we will be needed by someone.

"Sakura," I paused for a moment almost choking at the very own words that tried to come out of my mouth, "would you like to attend the festival with me?" Sakura, why did she make me feel this way? It was completly elusive to even describe such an emerging feeling. A developing feeling that was being born within the moment staring at the pink haired nin. I could not make clear of this.

With one of those warm and brilliant smile of hers, she answered yes.

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**Ok...maybe I did not add much fluff between the two, i'm sorry! **

**Forgive me. But I am trying to develop a feeling between the two :3 as you already did. Please understand. Until next time!**

**Do not worry, I will be updating often since winter break is still on.**

**Please review...please? **

**Thank you for your time in reading my story! \m/ **


	5. When His Vibes Attacks Her Heart

**Sorry for the late update everyone! My music performances and family reunions really had me by the neck! Anyways it's snowing a lot now!**

** I hope everyone has fun and enjoys themselves with family and friends and be ready to welcome the new year with a positive outlook in life. Please be safe everyone! And stay warm!**

** This chapter mainly focuses on pur pink haired nin's point of view. The next will focus on Sakura then mostly Gaara, I think. Unless I decide to change my ideas up a bit. I decided to update the story before I leave! Enjoy!**

**Happy New Years Everyone! \m/**

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Chapter 5: When His Vibes Attacks Her Heart

**Sakura**

"Ah! I knew this yukata would look amazing on you! The jade color really brings your eyes out!"

Ino's eyes beamed in satisfaction, knowing by the look on my face when I turned to look in the mirror, I really liked it.

Tenten and Hinata agreed in unison. They had already purchased their yukatas for tomorrow's festival. This felt...nice. I have never gone out "shopping" like most girls do in the village when in need of new clothes or new make overs. Take Ino, for example. She had a good sense of fashion judging how neatly she has her hair tied up in an arched pony tail with her bangs moved slightly to the right, covering her eye. Not to mention the clothes she'd wear, bringing out her feminine features. I felt at ease knowing that my friends were safe and relaxed even after knowing the akatsukis are on to something. I had overheard Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-sensei discussing about some heavy matters, and she even assured Kakashi-sensei that she would assign extra patrol teams on the look out around Konoha's perimeter. As expected from the Godaime; she wants to reassure and secure the safety of her people, especially during the festival.

Putting the thought aside, I looked up in the mirror again from the ground. I looked so different. I looked...girly? No, feminine! A large light pink satin bow hugged my waist tightly and Ino was right! The bright pink really did make my eyes stand out. It gave the illusion as if my green orbs were illuminating. Without hesitating, I accepted into buying the beautiful clothing. Once I was done in the fitting room we headed towards the counter. We had to squeeze our way to the front desk to pay, we were shoved around by the many incoming customers who were mainly girls, that stampeded into the store. The shop was CROWDED. Many girls were searching frantically for yukatas or kimonos in the last minute. Some groaned in disappointment when their size was no longer in stock and some giggled joyously when they found the one the right one they were looking for. The salesgirls were very busy stocking up more clothing on the shelves and hangers and tried to make their way out of the crowd of girls who came running their way to grab whatever fashion was left. Good thing we had come on time! Already having purchased our yukatas, we exited the noisy and populous store with a smile on our faces, despite almost being squeezed and trampled to death!

To be honest, I was excited about the festival. Well I have always been excited when an event would be held in the village, but that I would be going with Gaara had me jolting inside. _He _had asked _me. _And the fact that he did had me smiling since last night. It was a weird because I did'nt think I would hold such feelings towards Gaara of The Sand.

"Hey guys, I have to go meet the Kazekage in about ten minutes," I glanced at Ino who was smiling wryly towards Tenten who also gave her a mischievous grin, "why the heck are you two looking at me that way?"

Innocently, the two clasped their hands behind their backs and smiled. I let out a heavy sigh and waved at them as I turned the other direction to meet the Kazekage infront of the Inn he was staying in. It was incredibly hot today. The warm flowing stream striked the reflection of the bright sun shining on it, bouncing off in ever direction like a crystal. I like the warmth, but sometimes this hot weather could get very annoying. I could only imagine how hotter the weather was in Suna! The bright blue sky laid in the humid air, with no clouds to be seen. The grass swaying from side to side, being lightly pushed by the warm summers breeze. The people on the streets were walking slower, looking distressed. The heat was so intense, so energy-sapping, who would have the energy to even walk around in this kind of weather? Trees, heavily laden with summer's full bloom of leaves, seemed to be hanging their heads, no breeze to disturb the sun's relentless, burning attack. All I could think of at the moment, was to jump in a pool of ice-cold water and just sit there, completely undressed and taking in the wetness. Drops of sweat began to trickle down my face to my neck. I spotted a water fountain nearby and walked over to it. The feeling of the cold water being splashed on my burning skin felt amazing, revitalizing.

On my way to the Inn, I had come across many flashbacks of my encounters with Gaara. Why was he creeping back in my head? Recently, he's one of the very first thought of my days and the last thought. I wake up thinking about him, and by the end of the day when my conciousness is ebbing away, Gaara becomes my very last thought. The time when we had come to help out the sand siblings in rescuing one of his students, Gaara had been attacked by some jutsu in which made his sand become completely useless. Luckily, Lee and Naruto had shown up to defend Gaara while I came to aid him. I remember clearly of that moment. My mind was set on focusing my chakra on his body. He had tensed up when the pressure of my hand was felt below his calves while the other was healing his upper leg-

"-Kazekage-sama!"

Giggling and squealing could be heard around the corner. I pressed my back behind the wall and slowly peeked from behind to see a couple of girls surrounding the Kazekage with sick dreamy eyes. _Who the heck are those twerps!?_

"Oh Kazekage-sama! I've heard so many wonderful things about you! Like risking your life for your village!"

"And you do so much for your people!"

_Well no duh, you imbeciles! That's part of a Kage's responsibility! _Those girls couldn't possibly say anything stupider than that! I let out a muffled growl from my throat to gritted teeth. The three girls were OBVIOUSLY flirting with Gaara and it made me sick to the pit of my stomach. Ugh! The way they gave him that certain look; their hair flipping from side to side, leaning in towards him, quickly touching him on the arm or hand with a big NEEDY smile. The other girl with short coffee brown hair and deep brown eyes kept talking with the Kazekage, continuously touching his arm. Either he found their presence annoying and did not know a way out of the situation or he did not want to be mean to his new fangirls. I wonder just how many fangirls this guy has following him! I noticed how the tallest one out of the three batted her eye lashes at him and made that cute little girly laugh. How sickening.

"Kazekage-sama...umm," the girl shuffled her foot nervously kicking up dust to the side, "would you like to take me to the festival?" She then shifted her weight to her right leg, as if that would get her an inch closer to Gaara.

A sudden anger and insecurity ran through my mind and boiled in my blood stream. I tried to contain myself but it felt like an explosion inside me. Anger swirled like a tsunami within my being, rising to drown me. What really felt like a blow to the face were Gaara's next words.

"-I'd like to go but..."

I didn't need to hear this crap anymore! My breath became harsh and shallow, my hands automatically curling into fists at his sides, itching to swing out and put a dent in the wall beside where they stood. Gaara couldn't possibly be enjoying that moment! _Am I jealous?_ I felt it boil within my bloodstream. The heat of the scorching sun only made it worst. I discarded the thought until I felt the stab of jealousy pierce through me but shoved it down brutally. I never felt so confused in my life. Without even thinking of my upcoming actions, I pushed myself off the wall roughly with my elbows and stormed towards them. As I got closer, I recognized the three girls and I must admit they were one of the snobbish girls in the village! I approached closer and the oldest one out of three flipped her wannabe-longhair back shooting me a cheeky smile. Her name was Ayumi.

"Gaara-kun! I'm so glad I ran into you!" Pretending to just notice the girls, I smiled innocently at them, "Oh? What do we have here? Why hello girls! Shouldn't you be going home, it's almost past your bed time!"

"We don't have a curfew, you big forehead lady!" retorded one of the younger twats.

I felt my left eye twitch and gave her the coldest look I could have given. The little twerp...how dare she! I felt bad for the parents who had to put up with these girls everyday.

I did not want to make a complete fool out of myself infront of the Kazekage, nor show my jealousy, so I decided to think smart, "Gaara-kun, I'm all set for tomorrow," I raised the shopping bag for him to see, "I'm sure we'll have a great time together!" I was behaving like such a kid! Completely ashamed of my behavior and jealous feelings, I had no right to feel this way over someone I have rarely interacted with in my life. Gaara gave me an almost puzzled look as I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the three harpies. We continued to walk in silent, I let stupidity get the most of me and I could not feel any more ashamed. _I hope I did not let my jealosy show too much. He must think I am such a kid..._ I was caught off guard when the most unexpected happened: Gaara had asked me to have ice cream with him.

The Kazekage. Once a cold blooded killer who only had one purpose in life: to be known by death. One of the top shinobis in the world who barely showed any hint of expression, asking me to eat ice cream with _him. _There was nothing wrong in that but the fact that the Kazekage was craving the sweet dessert at the moment was weird. We continued to walk in silence to the only little ice cream shop in Konoha. As expected, the streets were crowded with people. Especially the day after the festival, people went out to enjoy the beautiful night life. A thriving mass of villagers, pulsating with the energy that is carried with a throng of people were heading in groups to their own destinations. Luckily, the ice cream shop was not far from the park. Gaara opened the door and held it for me until I stepped inside. The cool air from the conditioner struck my hot skin. As entered right after me, the bells that hung high on the door, clanged against the glassy material of the door making heads turn to our direction. Knowing who the man standing next to me was, some gasped in shock while some smiled.

As we made it up to the counter to place out order, Gaara looked up at the menu that hung below the ceiling in utter confusion. Did he even know what flavors there were? I couldn't help but giggle when I turned to look at his confused look again, he turned as well and cocked his head to side as if asking me to what flavor should he get.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hamasaki! Umm make that two vanilla and chocolate swirl ice cream bowls for the Kazekage and I," I smiled brightly at the man.

The man nodded and acknowledged the Kazekage's presence and before the Kazekage had a chance to place the money on the counter, I beat him to it. When we got our bowls of ice cream we made our way to the table in the back by the window, watching the people pass by. I took a spoonful of the delectable dessert and I felt my tongue tingle from the sweetness and irresistable taste. It has been a while since I've eaten the rich, creamy, and heaven;y dessert. Naruto had completely devoured my ice cream last time, leaving me craving the darn sweet dessert. The vanilla slowly seeped into the chocolate, mixing up together to combine a different flavor. Each spoonful were like little drops of heaven. I snapped out of my thoughts and focus on the man in front of me and nearly choked on the next spoonful of ice cream that I had roughly gulped down. He was already done with his bowl!

"Wow, you must have really liked it!"

Slowly, a rosy scarlet color spread over Gaara's cheeks, making his face take on an almost childlike appearance. He quickly turned his head away, not wanting to meet my gaze, embarrassed by his reaction. I swear, his face flushed with a bright red.

"It was very...sweet. I have never had this before in my life."

I gently pushed my bowl towards him, offering him to have some of my ice cream. Hesitantly, he took a couple of spoonfuls before stating he has had enough for the day. I noticed he had a smudge of the melted ice cream on the bottom of his lip to the corner of his mouth. Without having the audacity to recognize what I was just about to do, I had grabbed a napkin from the side, tapped it a few times with my tongue, reached over the table and wiped the now sticky smudge off his lip. Now realizing what I had done, my cheeks scorched in embarrassment as Gaara's jade eyes met my own and a corresponding shade of crimson discolored my complexion. We held each other's stare for a while and felt as if we were the only two people in the world. Despite his lack of expression, his eyes were soulful and gentle which brought a shock of electricity throughout my body. Suddenly my heart began to race. I could feel it beat hard against my chest and wondered if he could even hear it. Gaara had certainly changed. Just the feeling of his presence close to me had my stomach flip continuously and a warm feeling engulf my being. The man was out this world beautiful. To think, he almost left this world...if it weren't for Elder Chiyo, Gaara wouldn't be visiting the Leaf Village. He wouldn't be _here _in front of me. He wouldn't be...alive. The thought made tears well behind my eyes and I fought back from letting those tears become noticeable. My heart skipped faster in excitement and in anxiousness. It was quite hard to take in at the moment, but it was an amazing feeling that had my head was spin, trying to comprehend why was I feeling this way until it hit me: I care deeply for Gaara. I may have never noticed it before, but I would never let him be on the brink of slipping away from us again. I will work harder. I will train harder. I know all too well that the Kazekage was one of the strongest shinobi in the world, but so was I. And if his life were to be in danger again, I'd make sure to keep him out of death's reach-

"HEY GUYS! IT'S GAARA AND SAKURA!"

My eyes suddenly felt hollow and turned blunt. _That voice... _I quickly sat back down and my eyes left Gaara's as he turned to look out the window as well.

"Sakura! Mind if we join you guys!?" Lee jumped beside Naruto, their voices muffled from the glass window.

My head shot to the right. Watching us from outside was Naruto, who was pounding the glass window to get our attention, Lee and Kiba. I sighed deeply knowing all too well that Naruto would simply be making fun of us for the rest of the remaining day if he had seen everything. But then again, I enjoyed their company which then brought a smile to face. I nodded my head and without a second longer, the three raced each other to the door. Naruto's warm and loud greeting, Lee's charmful way of saying hello, and Kiba's cool way of acknowledging our company along with Akamaru's loud bark. The three had pulled up some extra chairs to join us. Naruto had rushed to the front and placed his order of himself, Lee and Kiba. Once he returned with five bowls on a tray, they began to eat their delightful dessert. Naruto had brought a bowl for me and Gaara even though we had already eaten. Gaara did not mind having another full bowl of the rich and rewarding creamy sweet. Naruto had tried to sneak a scoop from my own bowl and I pinched his nose during the process. I turned to look at Gaara who was smiling slightly, and I could tell he enjoyed our company.

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**Sorry if that took long enough! I know this is a short chapter, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! Next update is coming up by the end of this week! **

**Again sorry for the delay. I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve! I could feel a small cold and slight fever kicking up from being outside almost all day last night, but that won't stop me from updating! Again, stay warm readers! (stay cool xD) **


	6. When It Hits

**Ok! So here is the next chapter! Sorry if it took so long. Music work has me by the neck at the moment, I tried my best to update as soon as possible! Thank you for waiting patiently! So in this chapter, I will be mainly focusing on Gaara but in third person. I want to be able to catch his growing curiosity towards our beloved pink-haired kunoichi!**

**Anyways, enjoy! And I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! \m/**

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"I found another way to provoke Naruto into waking the nine tails within his being," stated Sasuke, leaning casually against the entrance of the Akatsuki's hideout.

"I don't trust this immature. He'll probably fuck up the plan," declared a suspicious Deidara.

Nagato shot a warning glance towards the yellow-blonde then made his eyes land back on the Leaf's traitor. "How so?" Nagato's curiosity grew more impatient the longer Sasuke took his time in responding.

"I have overheard a group of terrorists, a couple of days ago, who so despise the Leaf Village for whatever reasons and are planning on striking the village tonight during that festival they are holding. Instead of striking first, which would make Naruto use his nature senses to detect where your hideout is located, we could leave it to them to do all the damage. In the process, that's where a couple of us come in and attempt to grab Naruto. Since not so much of you are left, it is the only exceptional option to take. As said before, if anyone gets in the way they will be annihilated," Sasuke paused for a while and made sure he made his next declaration clear, "Leave Sakura to me. No one else dare lay a finger on her." Knowing how extremely powerful she's become, there was no doubt she would not hesitate to come to Naruto's defense and Sasuke knew how weak she could turn in his presence and only in his presence. But then again, he could be wrong. Observing them the other day, it seemed as if Sakura was growing affectionate to the sand freak. But he knew just to what do and say to catch the blind girl off guard and have her on the palm of his hand. Once he did, he would finally finish her off so it would be one less impediment towards obtaining the nine-tails.

Nagato smirked maliciously and nodded in agreement. With no other words being exchanged, the raven-haired man vanished in a split second.

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"Do I really have to wear such flamboyant clothes?" Gaara had a scowl on his face, not liking at ALL what Naruto and Lee had picked out for him to wear to the festival.

Naruto flashed his friend a wide grin and pats him on the back, "Yeah! Unless you want to show up in your Kazekage robe only attract more of those annoying fangirls of yours."

Gaara growled menacingly at the blonde, but the blonde was not intimidated and continued his rambling. He did have a good point, though. Gaara's encounter with the obnoxious leaf genins the previous day had him irritated to the bone. The sound of their high-pitched voices made him cringe inside. But being the important guest of the village, he had to force any harsh retorts aside. On the other hand, Lee scanned Gaara from head to toe, having a little debate with himself whether Gaara should stick to his everyday outfit or the traditional outfit he had on at the moment. Judging by the look on his face, the red-head did not feel comfortable whatsoever.

"I don't want to wander around wearing..._this," _he stated in disgust not recognizing himself in the mirror. The flashy orange outfit was just not doing the trick.

"Yeah but don't ya wanna look good for Sakura?" Naruto nudged Gaara's arm continuously only to receive another low growl from the Kazakage. Sometimes he cou,ldn't believe at how many times Naruto can get away with his mockery. Again, the blonde was right. Deep down, the red-head knew he wanted to look right for his partnership with Sakura at the festival. In realizing this, he felt somewhat disgusted with himself. Since when did he the Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara, even care about his appearance to impress a certain individual?

A light bulb lit up in Lee's head, "I got it! Gaara, you can attend the celebration in your regular clothes _BUT _you must leave your gourd behind."

Gaara snapped a menacing look towards Lee, as if he had just heard the most absurd suggestion in his life. He couldn't leave his gourd behind, he just couldn't, Despite the fact that it was a pain in the ass to carry the damn thing around, it was a part of him and he did not plan to leave it behind under any circumstances. He let out a low muffled growl at the howls that Naruto could not hold in anymore.

"I am _not _going to wear this," clearly stated the red-head.

Naruto tried to supress his giggling, but ended up bursting into loud laughter causing strangers and customers to search for the source of the ruckus.

By then, Neji had entered the store along with Shikamaru and Kiba. Neji scanned Gaara's appearance and let out huff, "Leave it to the loudmouth to pick out such exaggerating clothes with such fruity color. Here, try these on. The colors are way less ostentatious than those you currently have on."

Neji handed Gaara the outfit he had picked out when entering the store, knowing that Naruto and Lee would have probably made a poor choice in choosing out a suitable outfit for the Kazekage. As Gaara stepped into the dressing room, the five boys talked about their plans for the day. Naruto had to pick Hinata up an hour before the festival began while Neji promised Tenten to be at her doorstep an hour early as well. Shikamaru sighed in annoyance, remembering he had also promised Ino to pick her up an hour early. Instantly he regret it knowing she would drag him to each stand at the festival. To him, women were trouble. On the other hand, Kiba was hanging out with Chouji, Shino, Sai and Lee but Naruto told Kiba on the spot that they are definitely welcome to tag along with him and his date, Hinata. It was the perfect day too, not to mention the weather was perfect. It wasn't too hot nor was it too cold. The humidity had lessened along with the scorching beams of the sun. Their conversation suddenly came to a halt and their attention set upon Gaara.

Judging from their expressions, Gaara knew something was wrong.

Neji had chosen a black yukata with a crimson red sash. The yukata was designed to slightly show the wearer's torso until covered with the crimson sash tied not too tightly around the waist. The oversized sleeves ended up to his wrists and the entire robe was well outlined with the crimson red fabric.

Kiba nodded in approval, "This is definitely you, Ga- I mean...Kazekage-sama!"

"I think it suits you well. Trust me, Kazakage-sama, you will not be the laughing stalk of the festival. That title only goes to Naruto."

"HEY!" the blonde exclaimed in protest, his arms across his chest and looked the other way. The rest of the guys laughed together while a potuing Naruto plopped himself to the floor. Gaara , silently chuckled to himself and smirked. Once the Kazekage had changed back into his normal clothes, the group went up to the counter to buy the yukata but the sales woman refused to make the Kazekage spend a single penny. Thanking the woman, the boys headed outside greeted by the sun's rays and the loudness of the village and its passers.

The redhead knew it was going to be a long dreadful day. But he couldn't complain about the relaxation his friends made him feel. He felt welcomed, accepted, and not feared of. There was one missing which he wanted to experience deep down more than ever: to be needed by someone. At the moment, the image of a cheerful and beaming Sakura invaded his thoughts. The other day, the pink haired kunoichi had wiped the smear of the sweet off his very skin. The contact of their skin made Gaara frighten yet feel warm inside. When the tips of her fingers brushed against his skin, he felt the strong sensation of pulling her into his embrace and just hold her there for a good while. The pink-haired girl somewhat triggered the shattered memories of his mother. From a picture he had seen of his mother, Sakura somewhat reminded him of her. Gaara remembers of the pink-haired kunoichi invading his thoughts several times after they had rescued him. Deep down, he knew he felt something odd towards the girl, but he did not know what at time. It is now crystal clear that the red-head had developed a kind of feeling for her but the problem was, what kind of feeling? He felt confused and when it came up in his, he would become lost in his own thoughts about Sakura. Something about the pink-haired girl was definitely alluring to the point where it has peaked Gaara's interest in her. He wanted to know more about her; he wanted to find a way to keep her. _Just what the hell is going on with me?_ The red-head growled for thinking absurdly.

Naruto seemed to have noticed the red-head was scowling to himself. The blonde was aware that Gaara had some sort of attraction to Sakura; he just did not know what kind of attraction. It could be either positive or negative. The past couple of days, Naruto had caught Gaara shift uncomfortably away from Sakura. Naruto was not blind to catch the many times Gaara taking quick glances at her. Heck, the blonde has even caught the red-head stare at Sakura for a good amount of time, as if deep in thought. Naruto wanted answers, but he did not know how to exactly approach the red-head about it. He knew Gaara's stubbornness was not the kind to put up with. So, he needed to tackle this another way. He was about to find out and wouldn't rest until he did.

"Hey Gaara, you and Sakura should definitely tag along with us tonight! After the whole festival thing, we are going hang out on the mountains to go star-gazing."

He did not respond immediately. Taking a sideways glance at the red-head, he only received a slight grin.

"I will leave that to Sakura to answer, if she wants to."

The blonde quietly swore under his breath. He was not about to admit defeat, "You know, Sakura _really_ likesto talk about you! Whenever you're the topic to a conversation, she's the first to enter and the last the respond."

"Does she really? How congenial of her," The red-head slightly grinned at the thought of the pink-haired kunoichi's enthusiastic tone and her bright smile.

They continued their way to their next destination in silence until Naruto came up with another cunning approach, "I wonder how many guys will Sakura have before her tonight! Man, last year there were so many who wouldn't leave her alone until they got to at least talk to her or even _dance_ with her!" The blonde took another side way glance at his friend and grinned triumphantly, and threw an invisible fist in the air.

"The last guy she went with wouldn't even let another guy near her! It was really annoying since we wanted Sakura to try some of the games with us."The red-head had stiffened at the piece of information Naruto had just given him. Only Naruto could read Gaara's eyes, besides his siblings, he could easily detect what Gaara was feeling at the moment: jealousy. His face remained calm and undisturbed while his jade eyes burned with fury and jealousy.

Suddenly the group stopped infront of the flower shop. Gaara lifted his gaze up to the size and cocked his head to one side, confused as to why they had stopped here. He turned to his kyubbi friend with a questioning look and received a hard pat on the back by Lee. He growled in response but Lee being the positive being he is, was not the slight least intimidated by Gaara's deadly glare.

"_Why _did we stop here?" He asked in exasperation.

"We are here to help you choose the right floral-hair-thingy for your date!"

Gaara looked at Naruto as if he had just stepped on a pile of crap. His expression only made the boys laugh and again, he received another pat on the back by Lee along with one of his famous flashy smiles,

"By the look on your face, you seem troubled my friend! This is exactly why we are here to help you choose the perfect flower gift for our precious Sakura! Oh the compelling effect love has on the youth, even the most unexpected of people!" The Leaf's Beautiful Green Beast suddenly teared up at the thought, rising both fists in the air.

Neji sighed, and slapped Lee across the head before he said any more of his emotional statements.

"Is there food in there? I'm starving," Chouji questioned, rubbing his stomach while doing so and entering the flower shop right after Kiba.

Shikamaru shook his head and sighed, "Unless you want to munch on flower pedals and consider it food, go right ahead," the intelligent yet lazy boy followed behind Chouji.

The blonde smiled thoughtfully at the sight of a surprised Gaara still standing in front of the shop, not having moved an inch. He figured he did not know of this and was a bit shocked to even take in the realization. For all he knew, Gaara probably has never gotten anyone anything before in his life! This was another new experience for him and so far, he was not taking it all too well.

"Come on Gaara! Let's not waste anymore time, Sakura hates being kept waiting!"

The two walked into the store then and were welcomed by an old woman behind the counter. The gentle mixture of the aroma filled Gaara's nostrils and to his surprise found it welcoming. Immidiately, Gaara began to sniff each flower that caught his attention. Some had a strong tiresome smell that later hurt your head while some were fluffly yet kind of weak. Gaara stopped to look at a simply yet beautiful pile of red. He deeply inhaled the flower; it was like the kiss of the rising sun on the face of the blooming earth. The sudden need to embrace someone and stare into the horizon fell upon the red-head, _Sakura._ As if coming back to earth, the red-head snorted skeptically. Resuming his actions, he took another sniff at the flower. There were a couple that caught the red-head's eye and he did not waste another second to ask the woman what were their names.

"Aaah I see the Tsubaki has caught your sharp eye. These beautiful flowers grow east of the village. It's signification means 'love,'" the woman paused for a moment as she fixed her crooked spectacles and raised it up to see the other flower Gaara had picked up, "Aaah this one right here is the Suitopi! Why yes these are hard to look for, but luckily we have good flower gatherers who know exactly how to extract the flowers from their place. This beauty means 'goodbye' and can be found several miles north of the village around the summer. How would you want these two adorned as?"

"As a floral hair pin, please," Gaara answered proudly, recognizing he had chosen the two florets himself without the help of the others who were fussing over what flowers to choose for their dates or complaining about the strong mixed scent of the flowers were creating.

"Aaah for a special woman I suppose, Kazekage-sama?" the old woman smiled as she removed her spectacles.

The red-head was soon absorbed in his own world once again: never in his life did he ever do such a thing to another being. He specifically chose those flowers just for Sakura. They seem to fit her personality and overall being, perfectly. Gaara knew at that moment if it were someone else, he'd probably have chosen anything without even looking for the right one. Since the day she had triggered his memories, he held her forever in his head and in his stitched up heart. Because by chance that Sakura was able to spend time with him due to her volunteering, she was able to evoke those buried feelings he's had for her since then. He never realized it, nor did he know of its existence but it was always there; it was just waiting to be elicited.

"Yes, you could say she is special. Can you please add a sakura to the adorn as well? Just because her name is Sakura."

"Aaah, Miss Haruno is it? She is such a wonderful girl! One of my favorite customers of course she is always shining with energy. Yes, Kazekage-sama. I will have it made in just a minute," the woman smiled thoughtfully at the Kazekage and soon disappeared behind the back of the store.

Gaara smiled at the woman's sudden assertion about his pink-haired partner. It only raised his curiousity to a more utmost level. Sakura was certainly the complete opposite of Gaara, and he knew it very well. Regardless of the fact that they were, he still felt some sort of desirability for her. He fully understood at the awareness, but could not hide the fact the he felt frightened. He feared betrayal. What if she did not return the strange sentiment he was suddenly feeling? What if she still felt for...Sasuke? _Uchiha... _Just saying his name sent a shiver down his spine. The man had turned evil, no-good, and has condemned himself as a traitor by the village he had once resided in. From his knowledge, the man had left with Orochimaru and suddenly become a mass murdered. Not only that, but Sasuke had tried to kill Sakura a couple of times in the past even if she had only showed him her love for him. If the traitor were to ever come across her again he would not hesitate to finish her off on the spot. Such a thought made Gaara's bloodstream boil and dig his fingernails into his palm. There was no way Sasuke will ever harm Sakura not over his dead body. If Sasuke were to ever put Sakura's life in danger, he would have to get through Gaara first and only Gaara, for her swore to himself at that moment he would protect her from any kind of danger. Even if that danger was Sasuke, he would not hesitate to crush his bones under his sand's bloody grip.

Gaara's growing anger instantly diminished at the sound of her exuberant laughter fill his ears. There she stood, her presence radiant as always even from afar. The red-head could not help himself but gaze and fall into a trance as he slightly parted his lips, whispering her name. The luminant smile she would always give him was breathtaking and at the moment, Gaara felt the need to breathe properly for his breath was caught in his throat. Only the rosette with the glowing emerald eyes and pale milky skin would ever have such an effect on him. As if she had felt being watched, she spun around from whoever she was conversing with and suddenly jade met with emerald. The red-head did not know what to do in this sort of situation and he did not want Sakura to think he was intruding on her personal doings. Yet, he did not move slightly and continued to stare at her showing no expressions. This only made the pink-haired beauty smile fervently and wave at him with such enthusiasm, happy to see him.

Naruto had witnessed the entire thing. He had watched from a good distance and saw how captivated the red-head was over Sakura who stood outside not far from the flower shop. The blonde couldn't be more amazed at how Sakura had such an effect on Gaara. Never did he see it coming or even thought was possible. Heck, he never even thought about Gaara and Sakura even happening! But there stood the proof he needed to make him believe it was indeed very possible. Although both were different in every way from each other, somehow, the two managed to attract one another.

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